Nothing Corny About It

It’s in your soda. It’s in your snacks. It’s in your spaghetti sauce, syrup, and salad dressing. If you eat a hot dog or hamburger, it’s in the bun, the meat, and the ketchup you slather on it. It’s corn. And we’re wondering: WTF is the deal with this basic grain and its obese-making byproducts being used in just about every food item we consume? It’s enough to make you think twice about every bite. As well you should. The jaw-dropping documentary King Corn ought to be required viewing for every American who washes down their complaints about weight gain with a massive Diet Coke.

It all begins with a road trip. College buds Ian Cheney and Kurt Ellis set out with director Aaron Woolf across the great Midwest. They’re searching for answers to some very important questions. Like, why is unhealthy food so freakin’ cheap? What’s the deal with high-fructose corn syrup being in everything? What about the herbicides and genetically modified seeds we’re consuming? If these issues have kept you up at night, or if you can’t lose weight and don’t understand why, get to the Miami Beach Cinematheque tonight at 8:30 for this special Independent Lens screening, brought to you in conjunction with Hands On Miami. Admission for the flick – which will air soon on PBS – is free.
Thu., March 20, 8:30 p.m., 2008